Which place is cheaper, Ho Chi Minh City or Doha?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Doha or Ho Chi Minh City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Doha and Ho Chi Minh City can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Doha or Ho Chi Minh City?
Doha
Doha is the capital city of Qatar, modern and rapidly developing with much construction underway. It is home to Doha International Airport, the main point of entry for Qatar, as well as many of the country's best museums and examples of cultural heritage.
Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam. It previously served as the capital of the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam). The metropolitan area, including Ho Chi Minh City, Thu Dau Mot, Di An, Bien Hoa, and other surrounding towns, has a population of more than 9 million people and continues to grow.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Historical Tours in Vietnam, and The Best 10-Day Tours in Vietnam.
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Doha Prices
Qatar PricesHo Chi Minh City Prices
Vietnam Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayDoha $245Ho Chi Minh City $88
The average daily cost (per person) in Doha is $245, while the average daily cost in Ho Chi Minh City is $88. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Doha and Ho Chi Minh City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personDoha $120Ho Chi Minh City $48
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomDoha $240Ho Chi Minh City $96
Compare Hotels in Doha and Ho Chi Minh City
Looking for a hotel in Doha or Ho Chi Minh City? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Doha Hotel Prices and Ho Chi Minh City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Doha $23Ho Chi Minh City $15
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Doha
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Doha:
- CO2-Offset | RoundTrip Transfer from DOH Airport to Doha/West Bay: $194
- Entry to Angry Birds World with Transfer to Park and Top Up- Private Tour: $174
- Doha Desert Horse Riding: 2-Hour Ride & Private Transfer: $160
- Doha Horseback Riding Adventure in Desert with Transfers: $139
- Doha Arabian Horse Riding Adventure in the Desert with Transfer: $135
- Airport Transfer: Doha Airport DOH to Doha by Luxury Van: $126
- Airport Transfer: Doha to Doha Airport DOH by Luxury Van: $126
- Departure Transfer: Doha to Hamad Airport DOH by Luxury Van: $126
- Airport Transfer: Doha to Doha Airport DOH by Luxury Car: $114
- Airport Transfer: Doha Airport DOH to Doha by Luxury Car: $114
- Doha Mangrove Kayaking Al Thakira & Purple Island With Transfer: $100
- Hamad Airport Transfer Service – 24/7 Door-to-Door Transport: $98
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Ho Chi Minh City
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Ho Chi Minh City:
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Short Taxi Ride$1.35
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Taxi From Airport$7.70
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Cyclo Ride (One Hour)$1.54
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ho Chi Minh City
Also for Ho Chi Minh City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- #1 Da Lat to Ho Chi Minh / SGN Airport : Private Luxury Transfer: $145
- Airport Transfer From Hotel in Ho Chi Minh to Airport By 4 Seats Car: $35
- Airport Transfers (Airport - Ho Chi Minh,Private 16 Seats Car): $52
- CONVENIENT AIRPORT TRANSFER by PRIVATE CAR or SCOOTERS | KissTour: $28
- Cam Ranh Riviera to Nha Trang - Private Transfer: $20
- Duyen Ha Resort to Nha Trang - Private Transfer: $20
- Fusion Resort to Nha Trang - Private Transfer: $20
- Golden Bridge, Marble mount, guide, lunch, transfer from Cruises: $199
- HO CHI MINH AIRPORT: CAR 7s PICK UP HOTEL (one way transfer): $20
- Hanoi Private Transfer from Thanh Hoa to Hanoi (HAN) Airport: $172
- Ho Chi Minh ↔ Mui Ne Daily Transfer: Shared & Private: $24
- Ho Chi Minh Airport (SGN) to Ho Chi Minh hotels Arrival Transfer: $16
Is it cheaper to fly into Doha or Ho Chi Minh City?
Prices for flights to both Ho Chi Minh City and Doha change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayDoha $106Ho Chi Minh City $23
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Doha
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Doha.
- Traditional Dhow Cruise Dinner with BBQ Buffet & Transfers: $22
- Traditional Sunset Dhow Cruise Tour with BBQ Buffet Dinner: $23
- Starlight Dhow Cruise Dinner Experience on Doha Waterfront: $34
- Traditional Arabian Dhow Cruise with Sunset and Skyline Dinner: $40
- Moonlight on Marina Traditional Dhow Cruise With Optional Dinner: $42
- Traditional Dhow Cruise Tour with Dinner on board: $43
- Traditional Arabic Food Tour @ Souq Waqif with Doha Skyline Views: $43
- Sunset Dinner Cruise in Doha Bay A Traditional Dhow Experience: $47
- Private Souk Waqif Tour with Lunch/Dinner: $85
- Qatar Desert Safari Tour with Bedouin Camp Lunch or Dinner: $130
- Overnight Private Desert Safari with Buffet Dinner and Camel Ride: $149
- 5-Hour Private Night Tour with Dinner: $158
Typical Food Prices in Ho Chi Minh City
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Ho Chi Minh City:
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Street Food Dinner (for Two)$4.12
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Pizza$5.00
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Sweet Rice$1.15
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Pork Sandwich$0.58
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Casual Lunch (for Two)$6.53
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Western Lunch (for Two)$11
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Ho Chi Minh City
For Ho Chi Minh City, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Ho Chi Minh City Street Food Tour with Local LGBT Student Guide: $1.89
- Ho Chi Minh City Street Food Tour & Hidden Local Gems Sightseeing: $9.86
- Mekong With Cai Be Less Tourist - Cooking Class: $14
- 1 hour Egg Coffee Cooking Class with Snack and Local Instructor: $14
- Saigon Food Tour & Culture Explore Ho Chi Minh City Walking Tour: $15
- Mekong Delta 4 Islands, TukTuk, Boat, Try Khot Cake Local Cooking: $16
- HCM: Mekong Delta Boat, Khotcake cooking Coconut Village: $16
- Ho Chi Minh City Michelin & Street Food Tour by Motorbike or Car: $16
- Ho Chi Minh City Cyclo Ride with Lunch or Dinner Experience: $18
- Saigon Sightseeing & Street Food Tour By scooter with Student: $23
- Ho Chi Minh city Walking Chinatown / HCM city walking food tour: $25
- Pu Luong Cooking Class at Traditional Stilt House: $26
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Doha $18Ho Chi Minh City $19
Tours and Activities in Doha
Here are a few actual costs in Doha for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 2 Hours Private Dhow Boat Cruise of Doha: $95
- 3-2-1 Olympic and Sports Museum ticket | Qatar: $23
- 4 Hour Doha City Night Private Tour with Pickup from Doha: $50
- 4 Hour Doha City Tour from Airport, Hotel & Cruise Terminal: $57
- 4 Hours-Doha City Tour from AirPort/ Hotel: $54
- 4 Hrs Private Doha Tour: Discover the City’s Premier Attractions!: $115
- 4 hours Desert Safari Experience in Doha up to Group of 5: $260
- 4-Hour Private Doha Highlights and Villaggio Gondola Ride Tour: $84
- 4-Hours Guided City Tour in Doha (Souq, Katara, Pearl, Lusail): $60
- 6 Hours Private Full Day Tour in Doha: $109
- 6 Hrs Doha City Tour Including National Museum Entrance: $110
- Arabian Dhow Cruise in Doha with Sunset and Skyline Views: $37
Typical Entertainment Prices in Ho Chi Minh City
For Ho Chi Minh City, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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Massage$5.39
Tours and Activities in Ho Chi Minh City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Ho Chi Minh City.
- Highlights & Hidden Gems - Free Walking Tour: $0.63
- Hidden Bunker & Vietnam War - Ho Chi Minh City Free Walking Tour: $0.63
- Ghosts & Legends of Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City Night Walking Tour: $0.63
- Hidden Jungle War Experience – The Untold Side of Saigon: $1.81
- Ho Chi Minh City private walking tours with young local volunteers: $1.82
- Classic Mekong Delta My Tho Ben Tre Tour with Vinh Trang Pagoda: $1.89
- Ho Chi Minh City Private City Tour with Highlights Hidden Gems: $1.89
- Tan Lap Floating Village Authentic Mekong Delta Nature Tour: $1.89
- Private Long Tan Battlefield, Nui Dat Base and Vung Tau Day Tour: $1.89
- Vung Tau Beach and Coastal Landmarks Full Day Tour With Students: $1.89
- Ho Chi Minh Self-Guided City Walking Tour & Scavenger Hunt: $3.55
- Essential Ho Chi Minh City Walking Tour: All Must-see: $5.00
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayDoha $15Ho Chi Minh City $7.69
Typical Alcohol Prices in Ho Chi Minh City
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Ho Chi Minh City:
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Beer$0.38
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Doha and Ho Chi Minh City, we can see that Doha is more expensive. And not only is Ho Chi Minh City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Doha is in Middle East and Ho Chi Minh City is in Asia, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Ho Chi Minh City would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Ho Chi Minh City and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Doha would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Doha than you might in Ho Chi Minh City.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Doha Expensive? and Is Ho Chi Minh City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Doha or Ho Chi Minh City?
Ho Chi Minh City has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Doha. When comparing the sizes of Doha and Ho Chi Minh City, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.